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Vatican thanks Muslims for returning God to Europe
by Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor, Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) - A senior Vatican cardinal has thanked Muslims for bringing God back into the public sphere in Europe and said believers of different faiths had no option but to engage in interreligious dialogue.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Catholic Church's department for interfaith contacts, said religion was now talked and written about more than ever before in today's Europe.
"It's thanks to the Muslims," he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican. "Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society."
Vatican officials have long bemoaned the secularisation of Europe, where church attendance has dwindled dramatically in recent decades, and urged a return to its historically Christian roots. But Tauran said no society had only one faith.
"We live in multicultural and multireligious societies, that's obvious," he told a meeting of Catholic theologians in Naples. "There is no civilisation that is religiously pure."
Tauran's positive speech on interfaith dialogue came after a remark by Pope Benedict prompted media speculation that the Vatican was losing interest in it. Some Jewish leaders reacted with expressions of concern and the Vatican denied any change.
The "return of God" is clearly seen in Tauran's native France, where Europe's largest Muslim minority has brought faith questions such as women's headscarves into the political debate after decades when they were considered strictly private issues.
"GOD IS AT WORK IN ALL"
Tauran said religions were "condemned to dialogue," a practice he called "the search for understanding between two subjects, with the help of reason, in view of a common interpretation of their agreement and disagreement."
That seemed to clarify Benedict's statement on Sunday that interfaith dialogue was "not possible in the strict sense of the word". Church officials said a strict definition would include the option that one side is ultimately convinced by the other.
Dialogue participants could not give up their religious convictions, Tauran said, but should be open to learning about the positive aspects of each others' faith.
"Every religion has its own identity, but I agree to consider that God is at work in all, in the souls of those who search for him sincerely," he said. "Interreligious dialogue rallies all who are on the path to God or to the Absolute."
The uncertainty about the Vatican view coincided with increasing contacts among world religions.
Early this month, the Vatican held a pioneering conference with a delegation from the "Common Word" group of Muslim scholars who invited Christian churches to a new dialogue.
A week later, Saudi King Abdullah gathered world leaders at the United Nations as part of a dialogue he launched with a conference of faith leaders in Madrid last July.
Christianity and Islam are the world's two largest faiths, with two billion and 1.3 billion followers respectively. The latest interfaith efforts are meant to counter growing tensions between these two after the Sept. 11 attacks.
An Indian prelate, speaking after the Mumbai attacks began, said in Rome that a lack of courage to meet across faith lines was often behind religious violence in his country.
Archbishop Felix Machado of Nashik diocese, just east of Mumbai, told Italian priests the violence was caused by "inequality, a lack of justice and understanding and, above all, a lack of courage to dialogue," the Vatican daily reported.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Catholic Church's department for interfaith contacts, said religion was now talked and written about more than ever before in today's Europe.
"It's thanks to the Muslims," he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican. "Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society."
Vatican officials have long bemoaned the secularisation of Europe, where church attendance has dwindled dramatically in recent decades, and urged a return to its historically Christian roots. But Tauran said no society had only one faith.
"We live in multicultural and multireligious societies, that's obvious," he told a meeting of Catholic theologians in Naples. "There is no civilisation that is religiously pure."
Tauran's positive speech on interfaith dialogue came after a remark by Pope Benedict prompted media speculation that the Vatican was losing interest in it. Some Jewish leaders reacted with expressions of concern and the Vatican denied any change.
The "return of God" is clearly seen in Tauran's native France, where Europe's largest Muslim minority has brought faith questions such as women's headscarves into the political debate after decades when they were considered strictly private issues.
"GOD IS AT WORK IN ALL"
Tauran said religions were "condemned to dialogue," a practice he called "the search for understanding between two subjects, with the help of reason, in view of a common interpretation of their agreement and disagreement."
That seemed to clarify Benedict's statement on Sunday that interfaith dialogue was "not possible in the strict sense of the word". Church officials said a strict definition would include the option that one side is ultimately convinced by the other.
Dialogue participants could not give up their religious convictions, Tauran said, but should be open to learning about the positive aspects of each others' faith.
"Every religion has its own identity, but I agree to consider that God is at work in all, in the souls of those who search for him sincerely," he said. "Interreligious dialogue rallies all who are on the path to God or to the Absolute."
The uncertainty about the Vatican view coincided with increasing contacts among world religions.
Early this month, the Vatican held a pioneering conference with a delegation from the "Common Word" group of Muslim scholars who invited Christian churches to a new dialogue.
A week later, Saudi King Abdullah gathered world leaders at the United Nations as part of a dialogue he launched with a conference of faith leaders in Madrid last July.
Christianity and Islam are the world's two largest faiths, with two billion and 1.3 billion followers respectively. The latest interfaith efforts are meant to counter growing tensions between these two after the Sept. 11 attacks.
An Indian prelate, speaking after the Mumbai attacks began, said in Rome that a lack of courage to meet across faith lines was often behind religious violence in his country.
Archbishop Felix Machado of Nashik diocese, just east of Mumbai, told Italian priests the violence was caused by "inequality, a lack of justice and understanding and, above all, a lack of courage to dialogue," the Vatican daily reported.
Comments 1 - 50 of 79 |
Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers2. Comment #293393 by Neuro on November 28, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Thomas Preston, Beshear's Homeland Security chief, said he isn't interested in stepping into a religious debate, and he hasn't given this part of his duties much thought.
Thank god!
Other Comments by Neuro
3. Comment #293398 by AdamMil on November 28, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Not sure what to make of this.Maybe it's good for Christians and Muslims to have a chat, but I hope it doesn't turn into them teaming up against secular society.
Other Comments by AdamMil
4. Comment #293403 by Laurie Fraser on November 28, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Comment #293385 by mordacious1Where's irate when we need him, Mord?
Other Comments by Laurie Fraser
5. Comment #293405 by gobbles on November 28, 2008 at 9:26 pm
so in other words...
my enemies' enemy is my friend?
Other Comments by gobbles
6. Comment #293407 by chewedbarber on November 28, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Funny, I would have thought that he thanked god. That seemed to clarify Benedict's statement on Sunday that interfaith dialogue was "not possible in the strict sense of the word". Church officials said a strict definition would include the option that one side is ultimately convinced by the other.
Imagine that, going into an exchange knowing that at least the possibility of your being wrong exist.
So fucking catholic.
Other Comments by chewedbarber
7. Comment #293410 by Bonzai on November 28, 2008 at 9:37 pm
And it is supposed to be a good thing for the Catholics? Funny they would rather circle the wagon with Islam in favour of ANY God instead of accepting a secularized Europe. Let the Church does the "inter faith dialogue" in Saudi Arabia. Other Comments by Bonzai
8. Comment #293414 by Styrer- on November 28, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Surely this is as clear a validation as any of Dennett's proposition of 'belief in belief'?Even Tauran's cavil that the right 'god' might not be sufficiently asserted - a caveat which surely points to the ludicrousness of the entire inter-faith enterprise, such that Oxford educated Faith Foundationalist Tony Blair can't even grasp its import - becomes a mere sigh in the wind here, blown over as it is by the sheer fulsome warmth with which any shit-covered, human-destroying, life-sapping notion of 'god' is granted the most sweeping of passes.
I want to fucking vomit.
Best,
Styrer
Other Comments by Styrer-
9. Comment #293416 by ty90 on November 28, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Ahh the diplomacy of the desperate.I think this could help to ease some of the tension, an olive branch still does have olives...
But like older, wiser people before on this have said....it could just make another monster.
Making both halves of Gollum become one.
Methinks they wants their precious back....[ no clue what I meant there...]
Other Comments by ty90
10. Comment #293419 by LeeC on November 28, 2008 at 10:19 pm
"It's thanks to the Muslims," he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican. "Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society."
Not sure this is worded correctly…
Should it not start by saying “It’s thanks to these murdering bastards who blow up innocent people…”
Yes, that sounds more honest.
I'll leave it to others to fill in the rest.
Christianity and Islam are the world's two largest faiths, with two billion and 1.3 billion followers respectively.
And can any of them agree with one another?
Nope...
Still, good to see there are more non-believers in Christianity and Islam than believers.
I wonder what this could mean?
Religion is man made prehaps?
Comment #293414 by Styrer
Surely this is as clear a validation as any of Dennett's proposition of 'belief in belief'?
My thoughts precisely.
Lee
Other Comments by LeeC
11. Comment #293420 by robotaholic on November 28, 2008 at 10:23 pm
who are the actual 'good' muslims who are peaceful and want interfaith dialog anyway?...you know the ones who want equality for women, and no 'mercy' killings? Other Comments by robotaholic
12. Comment #293421 by Shuggy on November 28, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Bonzai:they would rather circle the wagon with IslamMy phrase too. They feel beleaguered so they close ranks, never mind that they disagree about almost everything except the all-pervasive sky-man (in two very different versions) and life after death (in two dramatically different versions).
Robotaholic, I think you mean "honour" killings. The Catholic Church has no time for euthanasia either.
Other Comments by Shuggy
13. Comment #293423 by Gwiss on November 28, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The elderly pedophiles and the intolerant swordsmen have teamed up! The result sounds like a lot of pains in the ass and sore necks.Other Comments by Gwiss
14. Comment #293427 by Styrer- on November 28, 2008 at 11:15 pm
While the vision of the Vatican sharing its love with Islam warms all our hearts, perhaps here is an apposite point to re-introduce the spectacle of Gordon Brown, boringly named Prime Minister of Great Britain, sharing his own love with Islam.Better be quick: the last link I gave some weeks ago has already showed up on YouTube as 'user violation' and been removed.
May your hearts glow as much as mine on viewing such heart-filled appeasement and propitiation to this disgustingly self-pitying cult of death.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAdxqq3ITU
Best,
Styrer
Other Comments by Styrer-
15. Comment #293428 by kram50 on November 28, 2008 at 11:15 pm
God is at work...thank the Muslims....god is at work...thank the Muslims...God is at work...
Shit goes in ..shit comes out..shit goes in..shit comes out.
I really feel like slapping the stupid ones!!!!
I'm just so frustrated at all the insanity!!
Other Comments by kram50
16. Comment #293430 by EvidenceOnly on November 28, 2008 at 11:25 pm
This nonsense underscores what Richard Dawkins has said so often:ALL RELIGIONS ARE EQUALLY DELUDED.
They are all "partners in crime".
Other Comments by EvidenceOnly
17. Comment #293435 by Butler on November 28, 2008 at 11:59 pm
"Every religion has its own identity, but I agree to consider that God is at work in all, in the souls of those who search for him sincerely," he said. "Interreligious dialogue rallies all who are on the path to God or to the Absolute."Of course, if you don't make it to the "right" God or to the "right" Absolute before you die, no amount of dialogue will save you from burning in hell for eternity.
Other Comments by Butler
18. Comment #293438 by maxamillion on November 29, 2008 at 12:13 am
May your hearts glow as much as mine on viewing such heart-filled appeasement and propitiation to this disgustingly self-pitying cult of death. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAdxqq3ITU
Looked to me like "Peace in our Time", Churchill had been saying for years that it was rubbish, but he was ignored until it was too late.
Other Comments by maxamillion
19. Comment #293439 by AForce1 on November 29, 2008 at 12:13 am
To Styrer.Thanks for the excelllent link
BTW. Does anyone know if Gordon is Scottish Presby or Catholic (ie left footer in Scots vernacular)?
Or isGordon a moron?
Other Comments by AForce1
20. Comment #293441 by beanson on November 29, 2008 at 12:22 am
The Vatican is implicitly and joyfully thanking Muslims for bringing religious terror back to Europe'Thank you Islam, you are bringing about a recidivistic rennaissance- medieval consciousness is set to return, we're one step away from a new inquisition.
Soon we'll be able to kill people with the full sanction of the courts for not beliving in the superstitious shit that we do."
Old Rat-face, Hitler-saluting, Benedick-headed, hypocritical Pope-cunt, shit-burger should just... I don't know, fuck off, or something
Other Comments by beanson
21. Comment #293447 by CaptainMandate on November 29, 2008 at 1:07 am
"It's thanks to the Muslims," he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican. "Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society." ... as he bent over and opened his holy arse cheeks for the invading marauders
too many comments up here i want to agree with but yes, let's be friends with muslims for the sake of keeping skydaddy
Tony Blair did exactly the same thing coming out as a catholic and trying to get all faiths talking while allowing government funded race-schools
this is how it works in as a survival strategy
Catholics, have 2 bn. the largest faith in numbers, muslims don't have quite as many but they will go to war and blow up innocents if you look at their god funny.
Catholicism is slowly dying. it can chose to side with the secular as it's done in the past, accepting married protestant priests into the fold and occasionally slapping a pedos wrist in which case everything it stands for must be taken away now, or it can smarm its way in with the bully religion who will ultimately take it over but not in the lifetime of any popes or cardinals alive today
am i close?
Other Comments by CaptainMandate
22. Comment #293464 by rod-the-farmer on November 29, 2008 at 2:22 am
faith questions such as women's headscarves
Sorry, but this is not a faith question, this is about men trying to control women. (Amplification) Men who FEAR women, trying to control women. (Further amplification) Men who FEAR women and sex, trying to control women. When your holy book was apparently written by goatherders 1400 years ago, you should not be surprised that it contains references and ideas that would normally be adjusted in later years. But since islam has as yet not had anything like the Reformation, they are stuck with some truly primitive beliefs.
Nice to see the RC's are in close communication with the muslims. Maybe they can take some of them aside, and say
"You know, that business about making criticism of religion a crime, that isn't really necessary. Our religion is much older than yours, and we survived a great deal of criticism quite well without that. Both from those inside, and outside. In fact, it has helped us solidify our thinking along several lines. You have no doubt heard the expression 'that which does not kill me makes me stronger'.
Since we are all in the same business, you are actually doing us all harm, for not having thought this through. There are many people on this planet who do not subscribe to either your religion or ours, and many inside our two religions, who view this criticism law as extremely excessive. We will be very lucky if this does not explode in our faces. We suggest you drop this idea."
Other Comments by rod-the-farmer
23. Comment #293467 by CaptainMandate on November 29, 2008 at 2:28 am
rod the farmeran adequate response from a muslim about accepting criticism graciously might be "yeah but look at how powerful we got in such a short time"
as for warning a muslim about something exploding up in their faces....
well...
Other Comments by CaptainMandate
24. Comment #293468 by CaptainMandate on November 29, 2008 at 2:32 am
there's no doubt they're ultimately all doing harm to the "god" cause. they're like a pit of frightened, jealous snakes who'll be left killing themselves which will be good for everyone in the long term but still bloody dangerous for a while Other Comments by CaptainMandate
25. Comment #293469 by Styrer- on November 29, 2008 at 2:33 am
Comment #293464 by rod-the-farmer on November 29, 2008 at 2:22 amNice try, Rod. But you're forgetting that clever bit in the Koran that says that the, er, Koran is immutable and perfect in all its parts and is to be followed as is, for all time.
Any more suggestions?
Best,
Styrer
Other Comments by Styrer-
26. Comment #293470 by Steve Zara on November 29, 2008 at 2:39 am
Comment #293469 by Styrer-That does not matter. People use that clever bit to justify when they follow the Koran, and ignore it when they don't. That is how we get feminist and even gay-rights-supporting Muslims.
Other Comments by Steve Zara
27. Comment #293472 by Brian English on November 29, 2008 at 2:49 am
Correct me if I'm wrong, but those that study the Quran use the principle of abrogation. Passages that come later in the Quran are considered correct if they contradict passages that come before them. So, there's a simple mechanism to pick and choose. Just interpret those you don't like as being abrogated by those you do. Other Comments by Brian English
28. Comment #293473 by Steve Zara on November 29, 2008 at 2:58 am
Brian - there is always a way out!I do find the idea of atheists trying to tell Muslims what they can and can't do based on the authority of the Koran rather strange.
Other Comments by Steve Zara
29. Comment #293474 by Ivan The Not So Bad on November 29, 2008 at 2:59 am
Vatican says thanks to muslims for all the shooting, stoning, bombing and beheading that has helped put both of our competing and mutually exclusive delusions back on the political adgenda thus bolstering our utterly undeserved and previously declining positions of influence. Other Comments by Ivan The Not So Bad
30. Comment #293475 by Styrer- on November 29, 2008 at 3:09 am
Comment #293470 by Steve Zara on November 29, 2008 at 2:39 amIn that case, which is hopeful, then it is for other reasons that there is a focusing on the martyrdom and jihad parts of the Koran which are wreaking so much death and destruction. If the principle of abrogation suggested by Brian could be brought to bear on these destructive parts, then perhaps there is some hope of preventing the eternal antagonism felt by the House of Islam against the House of War.
It's just that I have never come across any phrase in the Koran that could do this job apart from the admonition in it that 'to kill one person is to kill the whole of humankind'. This doesn't seem to have much force, unfortunately, and is easily circumvented by the Mullahs' interpretations of far many more, belligerent parts to the young in their midst.
As Islam is as political as it is religious, I fear that the old expression 'lack of political will' is precisely the ticket that may be preventing Islam from undergoing any kind of Chrsitianity-like reformation. It may simply not be possible.
Best,
Styrer
Other Comments by Styrer-
31. Comment #293476 by henrah on November 29, 2008 at 3:20 am
Once again I'm utterly flabbergasted at the depths of cognitive dissonance to which religions descend in order to maintain power and influence. Two groups with mutually exclusive ideologies, whose doctrines fundamentally define one another as enemies, are seeking to make common ground of their own intolerant insistence on a particular worldview. Somehow, the details of the worldview become unimportant when there is an opportunity to consolidate power. Could there be any clearer demonstration of what religion actually means? To see the catholic church use words like the "absolute" to gloss over their elaborate and prohibitive conception of god and morality, is to see baldfaced hypocrisy for political gain. It is a shameless betrayal of anyone who takes the church seriously or is ensnared in its emotional blackmail scheme. There is no honor and no consistency. Other Comments by henrah
32. Comment #293479 by DoctorE on November 29, 2008 at 4:01 am
Now that people are realising that god does not exist the nutters will join forces.
Christianity/Islam will probably merge as Christlam at some point in time :)
Other Comments by DoctorE
33. Comment #293481 by Vaal on November 29, 2008 at 4:06 am
This the same Catholic church who were running around with their tails between their legs when their infallible leader insulted their mates the Muslims, and had to rapidly backtrack to save their skins, stinking of rank humiliation (too late to save poor sister Leonella from being shot in the back by an Islamic psychopath on the orders of an insane imman). This the same Catholic church who harps about reciprocity in Islamic countries, petrified that their particular sect will disappear into history, as Europe is flooded with the curse of Mohammedanism.
It seems to me that the Catholics are secretly impressed with Islamic tactics. They have fatwa envy, and would love to impose their own form of censorship on rationality and freedom of thought, a happy policy of seeking to reverse the enlightenment, returning humanity to ignorance and superstition.
However, rushing as bedfellows to Islam will be self defeating, as the hyenas will smell the weakness, loathe them and devour them. You are in the wrong camp completely Darth, if you are hoping for an ally with the implacable, inflexible, indefatigable enemies of reason. How long before "angry man" will be calling for your head, ranting "heretic" or "blasphemer"?
It recalls to mind the story of the scorpion and the frog..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog
Be careful what you wish for.
Other Comments by Vaal
34. Comment #293485 by godisnotgreat on November 29, 2008 at 4:37 am
Didn't understand the Cardinal's logic. Guess it's a Catholic thing.Interestingly, last time Islam threatened Christendom, the Inquisition didn't take the view of "at least they believe in God".
Does the Catholic church feel that that threatened?
Other Comments by godisnotgreat
35. Comment #293486 by Sean on November 29, 2008 at 4:59 am
"Dialogue participants could not give up their religious convictions, Tauran said, but should be open to learning about the positive aspects of each others' faith."This part is totally odd. There can be no positive aspects in a competing abrahamic faith. All other faiths are heresies as there is only one true faith - the one you follow.
If you accept that your religion, or the religion of others are partially correct, you undermine the will of the creator of the universe. I don't think he'd like being second-guessed in the interests of political expediency and toadying. I've read a couple of his books and he's not terribly open-minded in theological matters.
Other Comments by Sean
36. Comment #293487 by JAMCAM87 on November 29, 2008 at 5:15 am
"Every religion has its own identity, but I agree to consider that God is at work in all"
Some questions:
So God created thousands of different religions' Why are you a Catholic when God has a hand in all religions' Muslims are still condemmed to hell according to catholics for not being true believers but at least they got people talking about God before they went on to that eternity of suffering. Is that what you are saying' You cannot have it both ways. You cannot simultaneously say God has a hand in all religion and that Catholism is the one true religion.
This "teaming-up" of faiths smacks of desperation and highlights the arbitrariness of religion. Seems that any religion is better than none.
Other Comments by JAMCAM87
37. Comment #293488 by black wolf on November 29, 2008 at 5:15 am
italics fixed.
Other Comments by black wolf
38. Comment #293491 by PrimeNumbers on November 29, 2008 at 5:35 am
If the Catholics had any sense they'd be sucking up to the secular majority, rather than the Muslims. Get the Muslims in power and you can say bye-bye to the Catholic church. Other Comments by PrimeNumbers
39. Comment #293492 by Rachel Holmes on November 29, 2008 at 5:36 am
"Vatican thanks Muslims for returning God to Europe".Translation: "Vatican thanks Muslims for making Catholicism look comparatively less psychopathic".
Where had God been anyway? The Seychelles?
Other Comments by Rachel Holmes
40. Comment #293493 by liberalartist on November 29, 2008 at 5:47 am
These people are insane. It is all about their own power, they are desperately grasping at straws. I have no doubt that the only direction humanity can go from here is toward secularization. To do anything else will destroy humanity. Just hearing a catholic bishop talk about how wonderful Islamic influence is in Europe really shows how pathetic that whole institution is and how desperate. Other Comments by liberalartist
41. Comment #293516 by polestar on November 29, 2008 at 6:54 am
This should probably be seen as part of a concerted drive to give special rights to religions in the context of the recent success at the UN by the Organisation of Islamic Conference to bring in "anti-blasphemy" rules: see report (and note many excellent comments)They have a plan and the determination to push it through; we in the West do not have either and our default position is apology.
Other Comments by polestar
42. Comment #293536 by DoctorE on November 29, 2008 at 7:39 am
ok....
I am Jesus/Muhammad, son/messenger of god of the Federal Republic of heaven, I died/?? under mysterious circumstances on the Xth of X ~33 ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS AN ASSURANCE THAT YOU CAN pay/Terrorise XX AMOUNT of $/people to my agents on earth, no questions asked.
REST ASSURED THAT THERE IS NO RISK INVOLVED SINCE I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF EVERYTHING HERE IN heaven
etc ....
Other Comments by DoctorE
43. Comment #293541 by tvictor on November 29, 2008 at 7:51 am
This reminds me of Bush on Katrina. Other Comments by tvictor
44. Comment #293542 by SRWB on November 29, 2008 at 7:51 am
It's really just the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" gambit. If the RC church allies itself with Islam against reason, secularism and science, it may survive a little longer before sliding off into irrelevancy or being swallowed up by the "religion of peace".Other Comments by SRWB
45. Comment #293546 by mikecbraun on November 29, 2008 at 8:00 am
Isn't it creepy: people like this would rather have a violent, fearful, divisive society with belief in gods than to have a peaceful, open-minded, inclusive society without them. I guess if the latter were to happen, they'd have to find real jobs and be exposed for the frauds they are. WTF? Other Comments by mikecbraun
46. Comment #293551 by Caudimordax on November 29, 2008 at 8:08 am
The comfort level between Jews and Indians has allowed for a specific strain of self-mockery, too, which might be some psychic balm in this time of atrocity. As an imitation news story on the Web site SatireWire put it:
“Hinjew leaders today conceded the merger of Hinduism and Judaism has not worked out as planned, as instead of forming a super-religion to fight off the common Islamic enemy, they have instead created a race of 900 million people who, no matter how many times they are reincarnated, can never please their mothers.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/us/29religion.html?scp=3&sq=&st=nyt
Other Comments by Caudimordax
47. Comment #293560 by severalspeciesof on November 29, 2008 at 8:27 am
Tauran said religions were "condemned to dialogue," a practice he called "the search for understanding between two subjects, with the help of reason, in view of a common interpretation of their agreement and disagreement."I didn't know whether I should have cried or laughed at that statement...
"...with the help of reason..."
I ended up laughing...
and crying over their idiocy...
Other Comments by severalspeciesof
48. Comment #293574 by davem on November 29, 2008 at 9:17 am
This sounds like a classic case of Stockholm syndrome; loving the hand that intends to shortly beat you around the head, and take over. I rather think that the extra talk about religion is all about how bad it is - from the atheists who now feel that they can talk freely, and from anti-muslim sentiment. These people are nuts (but then, we knew that already).Other Comments by davem
49. Comment #293576 by SilentMike on November 29, 2008 at 9:17 am
bloody foolish man representing a bloody foolish dying religion talking nice to its would be executioners.Rest In Peace Catholosism. You will not be missed.
Other Comments by SilentMike
50. Comment #293583 by ridelo on November 29, 2008 at 9:44 am
Interfaith dialogue:"Okay. Let's start with what we can agree all about. What do you say? That there is a god? No, no, that not basic enough. That we should start with evidence based material only? Let's see. Who backs that up? Nobody? Oh yes, you there in the back. Were you invited, mr. Dawkins?"
Other Comments by ridelo
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1. Comment #293385 by mordacious1 on November 28, 2008 at 9:03 pm
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